Too late?
by AliciaNP
Summary: After 4 years, Ikuto finally returns home. But things have changed and so has Amu. Will he ever fulfill his promise to make her fall for him? Amuto
1. Chapter 1

_Well hello, you there :3 This is my onehundreth fanfic about what happens after the manga! This one one the other hand will be continued. I don't plan on writing 30 chapters but somewhere between 1 and 10! Please leave a review if you like! The more reviews, the more inspiration! _

_This is after the final chapter, 4 years after to be precise. Amu is now 17 and Ikuto 21! (I know Ikuto only weighs 64 kg and is 180cm in height but hey.. he grew up as well so shhh)_

''_It's taken a lot to forgive you  
oh it's taken me so long  
I tried in vain to forget you  
oh I tried everything  
but I won't be free until I've made peace with never knowing  
what went wrong and was the fault in me'' - Guarded by Kevin Daniels_

Beneath a dark, starry sky the mall stirs. People finishing up the last of their Christmasshoppings and scurrying home for dinner. In between those hasty people was a pink-haired girl. No, not just a girl. After 4 years she had turned into a gorgeous girl, a woman almost. Long, shiny pink hair lay on her back and softly moved with her strides. She wore a dark trench coat with a pink scarf. She compensated wearing a miniskirt by also sporting a pair of high stockings and armyboots. A pink blush of the cold air lay on her cheeks and nose. She shivered ever so slightly as she buried her chin further into her thick, woollen scarf and hurried along.

Hinamori Amu.. Damn, had she changed. Not that slightly childish, pink little girl anymore. But now an elegant, beautiful woman. Not to mention, sexy as hell.

She had grown at least 10 cm but had also gotten her curves and had slimmed around her facelines. I was watching her from the roof of a small shop, thinking of a way to surprise her. I could jump her from behind but somehow, the thought of that small statue falling over, under the weight of my 21 year-old, 75 kg self did not quite appeal to me.

My doubts soon proved unnecessary as a smile appeared on Amu's face and she softly waved at someone. My eyes turned to slits as I looked at the person that received that beautiful smile. It was Nadeshiko, Nagihiko whatever, to receive it. And if I remember correctly, that was still a boy. She continues smiling as he hugs her and they settle down at a table inside a little restaurant straight ahead of me. No, this was not a good time to show myself. I would just sit here for a little and watch her.

*Amu*

After having had dinner with Nadihiko, he joined me in my final Christmas shopping. Even though he was a boy, he had been raised as a girl so fashion was one of his stronger points. Which was exactly what I needed now that I was in search for a nice outfit to wear during the Christmas party. I ended up buying a gorgeous, long bordeauxred dress with a matching pair of pumps to make my small figure just a bit taller.

Even after that gigantic blow of finding out that Nadeshiko was actually Nadihiko, we had stayed best friends. It had actually been for the best. NowIhad a best friend and a best-guy-friend at the same time. He listened to me like a girl but was able to give his opinion straight up.

By the time they left we left the mall, snow had covered at least 10 cm of the streets and we had trouble getting through.

'Are you sure that you're going to be fine, walking home by yourself?' Nadihiko asks worryingly.

I wave away his worries. 'Come on, Nadihiko.. I do Jiu-jitsu, I don't think there's much that can happen to me now is there?'

'True' he smiles. Then continues to give me a kiss on the cheek and turn around. 'At least text me when you get home!'

'I will, I will! See you at the party!' I smile and give him one last wave before I too turn around and walk away.

The snow thickly and made everything harder to see. I quickly hurry home. It was getting colder and colder and I couldn't wait to be at home, holding a nice big mug of tea while enjoying the snow from beneath my many blankets. The heating was having a bit of trouble but nothing a long hot shower and 5 blankets couldn't cover.

With a quick pace, I hurry through the park that separates me from my home. There were quite a few memories in this park. A tall statue stands in that exact spot where I saw Ikuto play his violin so many times. I blink a few times but the statue doesn't disappear. Part of me tells me to leave and hurry on home, this wouldn't be the first time that I saw something that wasn't there, but another parts of me forces my feet to walk forwards.

'Hello?' I say softly, silently hoping that I would receive no answer and it had just been the shadows of the trees and snow. But my hopes did not get honoured as the shadow turns around in my direction and my eyes widen as they cross with an azure pair.

'I..Ikuto..?' I stammer and he grins.

'Amu, long time no see.' His deep voice says. That beautiful voice that I had not heard in 4 years. I feel my knees getting weaker until they cannot hold my weight anymore and I collapse into them.

*Ikuto*

There might have been a better moment for me to arrive but hey, it all added to the drama. And drama there was. Her eyes went the size of dinnerplates and her mouth was agape.

A soft, stammering voice asks 'I..Ikuto..?' almost as if checking whether I was really there.

'Amu, long time no see.' I grin. Yes this was exactly the effect that I wanted. Right up until the moment where she stumbles back a bit and then drops to the ground.

Now it was my eyes' turn to grow bigger as I worry about her lithe shape, falling into the cold snow. 'Amu! You alright?' I quickly walk towards her but see her still staring at me.

'How.. Why.. Why are you back?' She asks.

'I came here to finish my promise.' I saying, my grin reappearing.

''_Wherever I go, whatever the distance that separates us.. I will come back to you. And when you grow up and become an adult, I promise I'll come back and find you. Because I will always keep liking you like this.''_

I can see a slight pink hue appearing over her face and she finally manages to avert her eyes.

'Yeah well, it took you long enough.' She now says towards the floor instead of towards me. The tone of her voice changed as well, instead of it being shocked, it now sounded bitter. 'Maybe even too long.'

My heart skips a beat. Too late? Had she found somebody else? 'What do you mean?'

'Maybe the waiting finished long ago because we thought you weren't coming back. I haven't held up to my end of the bargain because you weren't there. I do not expect you to do so.'

'I told you that I was coming back once you were grown up and you look pretty grown up to me.' I say, my tone of voice now serious as hell. 'I will make you fall for me, and when you do… I'll be there to catch you. You just wait.'

She finally gets up from the ground and shakes the snow off of her clothes, oh how cute she looked. 'We'll see about that' she says and walks right past me.

I only now realise that she is soaked and by her shaking I know that she must be freezing. 'Amu, you'll catch a cold, let me take you home.' I wrap my arms around her, trying to share my warmth. In the process I waste no time breathing in her scent. A lovely fruity scent, still the same as when I had left her.

To my surprise, she pushes me away. 'I'm fine, thank you very much.'

'But you'll catch a cold, just let me..' She smacks away the hand that I once again tried to lay over her shoulder.

A sudden flame emits from her eyes. 'NO. No, Ikuto. You left us. You left us for four years. It's not the same as when you left me. It's not even the slightest bit the same. Things change, PEOPLE change. I kept on believing that you would come back, that you would save me from this life as you promised. But you never showed and now it is too late. I fixed it myself and lost a lot in the process. You were too late and you should go back to where you came from. You are neither needed nor wanted here.' Everything comes out strong, only the last sentence causes her voice to break a bit.

I never moved in the process of her telling me this. Had I been that important to her? Did I leave this? Why did I leave this, why did I leave her?

'Amu.. It's not too late, it never is. If you have somebody else I will steal you back from them, I will give you the life you've always dreamt of.'

Her eyes turn cold again as she turns around and walks away. Without another word, she leaves me standing there. I don't follow, it would've been a foolish thing to do, she didn't want me. I clenched my fist. Yes, she did. She just didn't know it yet. I would make sure that every time that she had the urge to cry, I would be there. And that she would want me there, only me.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello, hello! Been a long time since I updated! Missing inspiration I guess._

_I must admit, I love myself a strong female main character! And Amu is, of course, the perfect subject to make into a hero. The hero to a sad, sad story.. But of course everything will end well! And it will end well in Amuto :3._

***Amu***

I let the hot water run over my cold body as I step into the shower. Ikuto… That bastard. Not only had he nearly given me a heart attack, but he had almost made me freeze to death.

I think about how he looked and I cannot help but smile. I close my eyes, picturing him; his beautiful azure eyes and matching hair with bangs messily hanging in front of his face, that smirk that hadn't changed a bit. It was rather easy to picture him as a stray cat and maybe that was one of the problems. He was a stray, he didn't want to be tied down, he wanted to roam free. Who was I to mess with that? Besides, he really had come too late. Physically and mentally, I was just too tired. I switch the water from volcano hot to icecold and hiss. I didn't want him nor did I need him. Get him out of your head. I take a sharp breath and turn the shower off. I quickly get dressed and put on a warm sweater before taking cover underneath the many blankets of my bed.

I pick up the pink cellphone from my nightstand and pull it underneath the blankets with me.

"End of the night sucked. Ikuto is back. I yelled at him and now I'm sick.. Good night." I pick the first name on my speeddial, which happens to be the same boy that I had just met up with, and I press send.

I throw the cellphone to the end of my bed and pull the blankets further over my head. I can vaguely make out a buzzing sound from where I just threw the pink thing but I ignore it. The night of course hadn't been Nagihiko's fault but I wasn't in the mood to explain anything. I felt horrible and cold with equally horrifying butterflies fluttering in my stomach as a dark haired boy smiles like he does, hauntingly on my closed eyelids.

'Are you sure you're up for a schoolday Amu?' Nagihiko says worryingly. 'I don't want to offend you or anything, but you look horrific.'

'Why, thank you very much.' I say sarcastically 'That did not sound like a bad thing at all.' He grins slightly. 'But you're right, I FEEL horrific.. But there's only 2 days of school left and I really can't miss anything right now. Besides I don't feel THAT bad. Just a little cold.' Lie, complete lie. I felt like a bulldozer had run over my head or like somebody had hit me with the same bottle of vodka I emptied the night before. Just kidding though. Sadly I did not have a bottle of vodka anywhere near me.

'Alright then.. I hope you're ready for biology!' Nagihiko says happily. I wasn't happy. Stupid biology.

Stupid school. Everyone was dressed in black. The same outfit in which I had met Ikuto the first few times that I'd seen him. But that had of course been years ago. Now this outfit was Nagihiko's, Tadase's and Kukai's. This might have been an odd thought, had these past 4 years not gone by so very slowly. Everything somehow got more awkward with a lot of people. This included Tadase. Once my girly brain had stopped dreaming about good boys and had gone into puberty, Tadase suddenly seemed rather uninteresting. He was not only quite girly, but hadn't even been that good of a guy in the first place. I mean he fell in love with part of me and deemed the rest unworthy for god's sake!

I take a deep breath and blink away the hazy spots appearing in front of my eyes. I just had to get through a few more hours before I could dive right back into my warm bed.

****Ikuto****

It seemed as if everyone was a little bit mad at me somehow. Of course I had figured that they may not have liked me leaving for such a long time but I had also figured that they would be super happy to see me being back in town. Instead they looked at me as if I had done something wrong. SO it was about time that I found out why that was.

At this time I was sitting in front of Utau, sipping from a cup of green tea. She was staring at me, rather intensely. Almost furiously bringing the teacup to her mouth and back down again, without as much as a sip disappearing from it.

'So…' I start, after a long silence. 'What have you been up to?'

Her eyemuscles tighten up which turn them into slits as she brings her cup down again. 'Not much.. Just wondering where my brother was for about 3 years.'

'Eh.. yes.. I got that part. So you're with that Kukaikid I hear?'

Finally her face softens in the slightest and a tiny pink blush appears on her cheeks. 'Yes, yes we've been together for a while now. Amu on the other hand is still single.'

'Oh is she?' I ask, suddenly much more interested. Luckily, Utau had turned the subject onto Amu herself instead of me having to go there subtly.

'Yes she is. But you can't have her!' Her face hardens again. Well, this wasn't good. 'She deserves much better than my stupid brother.'

'I get that a lot. So why am I that stupid?'

'You weren't there when she needed you, and now you're too late.' She sighs and puts her teacup down on the table, staring at it with her mind somewhere else. Her look turns to somewhat regret, somewhat sadness. This makes my heart skip. What had happened while I was gone? I had pictured a perfect comeback, altogether with much kisses, hugs and maybe even parties. But this was the exact opposite.

'What happened?'

'Did you honestly think that Easter would cease to exist once a little boy stopped wanting a stupid rock? Did you really think that the people following him never had a mind of their own? How pathetically naïve of you, Ikuto.' She practically spits out the last sentence.

But she was right. It had been a stupid thing of me to think so. People followed him for a reason and that reason still existed.

She continues. 'A while after you were gone, these people started their own organization, financed with stolen Easter money. They're not necessarily after the embryo. They're mainly jealous of our powers. They won't understand that children deserve the powers of chara's and that they don't. So they want it for themselves.'

'But how does this effect Amu?' I questioningly ask.

Utau smiles bitterly. 'She was the most powerful of us all. She had 4 chara's and the lock and key to match. Never had there been a child as powerful as her. So she was their target.'

'But if she is that powerful, she fought back, right?'

'No, she couldn't..' Her eyes fixate on me again. 'She couldn't because of us. Instead of them going after all of us again, she sacrificed herself. She had done it before we had even noticed… Then there was nothing that we could do.. We found out only after she'd disappeared. She only returned about a year ago. But she had changed.'

I silently listen but my thoughts go haywire. Two years? What had happened in all that time. I had been there and done that of course, easter took me as well. But Amu had been alone, completely alone. On top of that, Amu was too sweet to do such things. She was too innocent. Doing this must have crushed her spirit, which explained so much. It explained the sad look in her eyes, the longing to go back, the hate for him. He should've been there to rescue her, like she had done for him. But he had been of to a fun trip through Europe while she suffered.

'How did she get free?'

Now Utau smiles sincerely. 'I told you she was strong… She is so strong. She took down the entire group by herself, now most of them are locked up in prison.'

'What.. what did they make her do?' I hesitantly ask.

'I don't know.. She never talked about it. But she changed, she's not Amu anymore.'


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3! I know this one's boring but there will be more Amuto action sooooon to come! Now that this is out of the way, it's time for the juicy stuff._

_Enjoy and please, review! :)_

_''I have seen your beauty grow  
Where all this fades, you shine in gold '' - Dave Baxer - Whispers_

**Amu**

'So have you decided what to wear yet?' I ask Rima as I get seated. It's lunchtime and the cafeteria is buzzing even more so than usual. Only a few days before prom, tensions arose. Who would get asked out by whom, and of course, what to wear?

I prick my fork into a rubbery piece of ''meat'' and hold it up to eye-height. 'If we make it there.. I'm never having cafeteriafood ever again…'. I never used to either, but living on your own required some time and sadly, that time got taken away from me making my own lunch.

Rima sighs. 'True.. Mama makes lunch for me, luckily. Though it's not all that either.. She has about 3 minutes every morning to make me lunch, so if I get a sandwich out of it, I'm all set for the day. And I went onlineshopping yesterday so I actually have got something.'

'Oh interesting! Say, I'm sorry I couldn't go shopping with you..'

She shrugs. 'I wouldn't have been allowed to, probably. It's very cold out, at night. But anyway, it's a very pretty mint green one just above the knee. I think you'll love it.'

I smile, of course I would like it. Rima's sense of style was impeccable as always.

'By the way, I hear you saw Ikuto last night? That does explain why you look horrific today.'

I shoot her an annoyed look. 'Yes I did and thank you.. I look like this because I'm sick by the way.. But I can't miss school or I'll get a home call and seeing as there would be a rather odd response, I'd rather they don't.' Yeah, calling my mother with the question why I wasn't there.. good one. She'd get a heart attack before anything.

'So.. How was it? How did you feel?' She ask, suddenly with a soft voice.

That soft voice makes me want to answer truthfully. ' I.. I don't know.. I mean he looked really good but there's still a rage inside of me, you know?'

'Of course I know.' The softness disappeared again. 'If I see that stupid cat again he'll have a lot of explaining to do.'

I smile, she was a good friend. 'But he DID look very good though..'

'I can imagine!'

I groan as I lay down my head on top of my arms. I felt hot and cold at the same time and my head kept kabooing as the teacher droned on and on about radioactivity. I had absolutely no idea what it was about and honestly, it made me dizzy even listening.

'HINAMORI-SAN!' She yells and I practically fall out of my chair, before groaning again. 'What in the world are you doing?! Sleeping during my class!' She walks closer, probably trying to hit me with one of her crayons.

'I'm sorry…' I breathe out. 'I feel really bad..' and I did. Not only were there a headache and an uncomfortable feeling in my entire body, but things started looking odd. I could've sworn I saw a chara floating around the room but mere seconds later; it appeared to be a bee. Which honestly, didn't look anything alike.

'Then you should've gone to the nurses instead of interrupting my class, now shouldn't you've?'

'In all honesty, you are interrupting your own class and I was just lying there… With all do respect of course..'

'Your groaning could be heard all around the room, Hinamori-san.. ' She sighs, even she can't be mad at me. I must look pathetic.

'Honda-san, may I bring Amu to the nurses please?' I hear Nagihiko say, but I'm too tired to turn my head.

'Go ahead, Fujisaki-san. But I expect YOU to be back within 5 minutes. Hinamore-san, please go home before you give everybody the flu. Then the dance will be much too quiet, Friday.'

'Thank you, Honda-san. Come on, Amu'

I feel Nagihiko's strong arms pull onto my arms as he lifts me from my chair. He puts his arm around me to keep me up, which was a good thing because my body didn't feel like getting up.

I lean on my friend as we walk towards the nurse's office.

'Well, now they will at least not call your home number'

'Woohoo..' But of course he was right, now I had a good reason to go home and dive right back underneath my blankets. Unfortunately, I had a lot of stuff to do so this newly required free time came in quite handy.

The nurse had given me some medication saying 'This ought to keep you up for a while but I need you to head straight home. There is someone there to take care of you, I presume?'

Well of course, I had said. But I had more things to do so all I could do now was hope that the medication kept on doing what it was doing because I was up and walking again.

I arrive at the needed address and ring the doorbell. I'm looking at a modern apartment with lots of windows and a modern white colouring. The door itself is a huge black thing with giant silver knobs. The massive wooden structure opens up, revealing no other than Hoshina Utau, the famous singer but up and foremost, my very good friend.

'Amu! Aren't you supposed to be in school?' She asks, but I know that she already knows why I'm here.

'I'm sick.. I needed to talk to you.'

'Well, I can see that, come on in. I'll make you a cuppa'

I walk in after her and take my seat on my favourite couch, which was nice and soft enough for me to sink into.

'Soooo, let me guess, you're here because of Ikuto?' She yells from the kitchen. Seeing as she was a famous singer and all, she was loathed as well. She now lived in a modern and well lighted apartment by herself. Although Kukai stopped by here half of the time. Luckily for me, that wasn't the case right now.

'You guessed right. It's your brother Utau.. Can't you tell me what to do?' I groan.

She walks in again, holding a tray with 2 smoking cups of tea and a plate containing strawberrycakes. 'I don't know, you know just as well that I'm mad at him too. I mean, my brother left me for 4 years and missed my break through. Not to mention what happened to you.'

She puts down the tray and offers me a piece of cake, which I gladly accept. My stomach didn't like it, but my taste buzz sure did.

'But he has had a rough time as well. He was Easters puppet for a few years before he finally got freed. I guess he just had to get away for a bit, so I can forgive him for that. Although he remains a bastard for never checking up with us.'

I sip from my cup of tea as I try to warm my frozen fingers. 'Of course, he's a stray. Nothing more, nothing less. And he will forever remain one.'

Utau sighs 'I don't know, I thought he would change, for you.'

Now my cheeks turn slightly red. She never knew how many times I had wished for that exact thing. Right after he had left, I wished for him to return and to tell me that he couldn't be without me. But of course, this had been my childishly naïve brain. This wasn't the freaking notebook. He wouldn't come back because of me, and I wouldn't wait for that day to come. 'Well, I really just wanted to know what you thought of it. I'd better be leaving soon, I heard another snowstorm was coming.

She nods 'I did too'

I sip my last bit of warm tea and get up to grab my coat. The doorbell rings and Utau gets up as well.

I vaguely hear the door opening as I wrap myself tightly in my woollen coat, making sure my scarf is tightly against my face.

'No you can't come in right now! I have a visitor, You'll have to come back!' Utau says, heightening her voice. I hardly pay any attention to it, it must've been her producer or something. But then I hear a distinctive voice which makes me harden and sends a shiver up my spine.

'Who's here then? Is it Amu? Let me in then'

I didn't want this, I was too tired.

*****Ikuto*****

'Who's here then? Is it Amu? Let me in then' I say. Utau's face betrays her as she keeps trying to shut the door. I put my foot between the door and it's frame and push it open. I walk straight past Utau, who keeps trying to pull me back, and into the livingroom. I vaguely see a piece of black fabric disappearing out of the opened window, but there is no sound.

'I told you! No ones, here!'

But she had been here, her fruity smell still lingered. I run over to the opened window but I see nothing. Nothing but a pair of footsteps, about 5 meters below the window, running away from it. A tiny pair of footsteps, only ever so slightly denting the snow as fresh, white flocks are already covering them up.

'What's everyone's problem! I know that I did wrong but you don't give me the chance to make up for it!' I yell at my little sister who flushes slightly and gazes at the floor.

She sighs. 'We're all very protective of her now, she's been through enough. I don't know whether you'll be staying this time, so I don't know whether to trust you or not.'

Get that, I do. But I wasn't planning on leaving. 'Utau.. Listen. I know that I've been a prick, a selfish prick. But I never wanted to hurt any of you, you know that just as well. Ever since I met that pink haired girl, I have been in love with her. I can be a little kid sometimes, I know. If he bullies you, he likes you. And that is exactly what happened; only I was too old for you to realize. I promised her to come back for her and I have. If she doesn't want me then that's fine, I'll leave her alone. But I sure as hell won't be going down without a fight.'

That little speech of mine left Utau gawping. She opens and closes her mouth a few times before something actually comes out of it. 'Well then, what are you waiting for? Don't just tell me all of this. Go follow her, you prick.'

I grin and walk up to her. I give her a kiss on the head which she returns with a soft smile. 'Good to have you back, nii-san.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally, time for romance and drama! And romance there will be! Thank you so much for the reviews and faves, they make my inspiration burst **** Enjoy some lovely Amuto in this chapter. Prepare for much much more in the next, as I need a bit of fluffy romance after 2 boring chapters!**

"_When I was younger__I told my mother__  
__I say one day I'm gonna make you proud__  
__Now that I'm older__it's so much harder__  
__To say those words out loud" Liz Lawrence – When I was younger_

***Amu***

From the moment that my feet touch the ground, I start running. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm not going to stop. Facing my past was something that I just couldn't do, and seeing Ikuto had done exactly that.

Ikuto was part of my past now, my horrible past. All he needed to do, was to stay right there. There, where he belonged. There in my sad past.

All those days that I had spent alone, waiting, wishing, for him to come back. For him to help me or just to whisk me away.

Now all I could do was run from those memories. I can see my fast breathing, forming frozen clouds in the air as it already starts to get colder and colder. I can hear my breathing, it's drowning my thoughts. Those loud, desperate attempts made by my lungs. If only I could keep on running, no sound could pass it, my mind could keep blank. But only much too soon, I come to an abrupt halt. My legs took me somewhere, somewhere where I needn't be right now. But somewhere that made my eyes water ever so slightly.

A grey fencing, made out of thick rocks, protecting a yellow house. The windows already started to shine light and looking through them, a happy family sat at the table, getting ready for dinner. A child happily screaming and her father, looking at her with pride. A mother setting the table as her oldest son talks her through his day. It gave me a deja-vu.

Me being the grumpy one, shaking my head with a smile as my father and sister took part in a photo-shoot. My mother looking over, ever so proudly at the both of us.

But as short as it had been, it disappeared again. And through those familiar windows, there was a strange family. No dear mother, ever so worried and yet, so smart. No crazy father, trying to take pictures. And no little sister, trying to play with me and my chara's.

My hand slowly reaches the eggs hanging from my belt. I softly caress each of the four of them as I push back my tears; there was no time for crying now. I had to keep moving on, I had to keep on protecting everyone that I loved.

I wasn't a little child anymore. Harsh reality had struck me and all of the little fantasies had ended right then and there. If you wanted to protect everyone; there needed be a sacrifice. People never understood this, or at least, they ignored that it was there. Always, in the course of history, had there been someone to sacrifice himself for the world. And even though, this wasn't the world, they were my world and so, they were worth protecting.

I suck up my tears, and oppress my sadness by putting on my emotionless face again. Somewhere far behind, I hear footsteps. They were swift, almost catlike. I take in a deep breath and keep on running.

******Ikuto******

After having left the house (through the door by the way, not the window.. Just saying) I keep on following footsteps, making sure to keep up pace as the snow starts increasing and the footsteps get shallower with each second.

Suddenly I realize where's she's going and I slow down slightly. She's going home. I would know, I had been there so many times, if only to watch her.

I would watch her live her life, taking it all in with the slightest of jealousy. She would have dinner with her entire family, always with a good meal and lots of laughter, like a family should be. After a night in the family room, she would go upstairs and before going off to bed, she'd have fun with her chara's. I was wondering whether this had changed as I arrived at the house. The footsteps led up to the gate, a deeper pair pressed down the snow right in front of it. Almost as if someone had stood there for a while. Then the steps led away again, heading in another direction. This wasn't what I had expected, not at all.

I take a look through the window, checking whether she might have gone through her own balcony or something. But what I saw right there wasn't Amu's family. There was a family, sure. But it wasn't hers. I look around me, to see whether I was at the right house. Mind you, there was a lot of snow lying around by now. Snow covering up streetsigns and hiding houses. Yet, I couldn't see anything, indicating that I was at the wrong place.

I walk up to the fence, to the sign telling the world who lived there. I can see a faded, light spot just above the nameplate that said that the family of Hanuro lived here. A spot where a previous sign must've been. A previous sign containing the word "Hinamori".

I pull up an eyebrow. Where was she going then? If not this house.

I quickly follow the fresh footsteps as I notice the snow falling faster and faster with each step. There's a buzzing coming from my pocket and I open up my cell to check who it's from. It's my sister saying that I should hurry up because a snowstorm was coming our way. Easier said then done as the footsteps had disappeared almost completely. I text Utau back, asking where Amu's going and where I am running towards right now.

She responds, saying I should go on where I'm going. I'm not sure whether to trust her or not but after opening up to her like that, I can't think of any reason not to. So I kick off and fasten my step forwards.

********Amu*************

I breathe heavily as I close the door behind me, finally arriving home. I drop down to the ground, biting my lip. Bad memories kept on coming back but I had to forget. Facing them was no option. I push myself up from the ground and instead of turning on the light; I put a few candles alight. I start taking my cold, wet clothes of as I slouch over to the bathroom.

I dry off my hair with a pink towel and throw cold water in my face, making sure to smear away the trail of a single tear, having run down my cheek. I dry my face off as well as brushing my tangled hair. Now I look at myself in the mirror, I'm a mess. A complete mess. Left only in a black pair of panties and matching bra, my raw red skin is visible. I'm still so cold but at the same time I'm numb. Dark bags underneath my eyes, exaggerated by the hot red skin on my face. A feverish tinge and matching cold sweat cover my forehead. My eyelids are droopy, as tired as I am. The room spins and I press my eyes shut, hoping that the spinning would stop. But instead, my entire body seemed to join in and my knees give in. I drop to the ground, all of the air leaving my lungs in shock. I quickly reopen my eyes and pull myself up by the sink. I open the bathroomdoor, only to be met by something that made the air pull back into my lungs as quickly as it had just left them. My heart stops and my eyes widen as they see an all too familiar grin.

'Looking good, Amu' He says with a purr.

I'm still holding onto the doorframe, holding myself up, unable to answer. I realize that I'm in my underwear but my mind was far too clouded to care. '..How?' I manage to get out.

'You're still awful at locking your windows'

My eyes shoot over to the biggest window in my room and I silently curse as I note the little hook, absolutely not being locked. I lived on the third floor, I had never really thought about it.

I pull together my last bits of strength and push myself away from the doorframe and over to the chair, where a towel awaits me. I wrap myself in it and turn back to Ikuto, who's just watching me.

'Please leave.' I choke. I knew I couldn't keep this up for much longer.

His grin had disappeared. 'No, why?'

'Because this is my house, you're not allowed to be here'

'But why won't you let me?'

'Because I don't want you..!' here. I don't want you here. But I choke back that last word, making me sound much harsher.

He flinches ever so slightly as the words hit him but he doesn't move. 'I keep to my word and I made you a promise.'

'You made yourself a promise, 4 years ago. And then you left! You left us all and you have no idea what you left us with!'

'I know, Utau-'

'No! No you don't know! Utau doesn't know either! And she doesn't need to know, because that's why I did it. So that nobody else had to suffer. But here you are..' I let out a maniacal laugh. 'Back to save us all. Well, you know what? I already saved us! While you were off on you holiday.' I slap one of my candles off the desk and it lands hard against the opposite wall, its fire gone out. Four years of anger was about to burst out. Four years of grief and loneliness. It would have burst out had I not felt like this. That burst of energy that it had took me to punch the heavy candle, was too much for me and my knees give in again. I breathe heavily, the anger leaving me with every breath. One hand tries to push me away from the ground as the other holds my vertical , pushing against the chair.

Ikuto's eyes had now widened and he rushed over to me. This time I don't have the strength to push him away. My eyes flutter shut and my heavy breathing continues. Everything fades and my arms turn into jello. I vaguely feel myself toppling over and brace myself for a hard fall onto the cold ground. But that fall never happens. A warm pair of arms catch me and I vaguely hear shouting. 'Amu! Amu wake up!'

Right before everything turns black, the arms lift me up as if I'm nothing but a feather and my limp body rests against the warmth. Then I drift off into a dream.


End file.
